"It would be a valiant effort to ask your partner to guide you up
Mount Everest,
but it is wise to hire a
Sherpa.
In comparison, to guide you up
Birth Mountain,
it is wise to hire a
Doula."
> LIZ FOSTER DOULA <
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Pregnancy puts you on the threshold of a great rite of passage. To progress from "here" to "there" without getting lost, you need a guide and a map.
"I am inspired by the way birth transforms a person from Maiden to Mother. It astounds me every time! When I walk into a room with a laboring woman, my heart jumps for joy at the opportunity to comfort her in that present moment, on her journey into motherhood." |
My Philosophy
PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL
The keys to a joyful birthing experience are safety, security, support, preparation and a calm mindset, all planned in advance, to be by your side for anything that should arise.
Physiologically, oxytocin is required to get a baby out. The same energy that got the baby in there is what will get the baby out. Oxytocin is a love hormone that a body creates when feelings of safety, security and support are present and my aim is to activate these pillars of power in you and to embrace what is out of our control, the unpredictability and unknown.
We are mammals by nature. Imagine a laboring deer in the woods and a predator is nearby. She doesn't say "Hold on, let me have this baby first." Her body shuts down labor and leaves to find safety. If fear is present, our bodies work the same way and will slow or stop labor until safety, support and security is re-established.
Physiologically, oxytocin is required to get a baby out. The same energy that got the baby in there is what will get the baby out. Oxytocin is a love hormone that a body creates when feelings of safety, security and support are present and my aim is to activate these pillars of power in you and to embrace what is out of our control, the unpredictability and unknown.
We are mammals by nature. Imagine a laboring deer in the woods and a predator is nearby. She doesn't say "Hold on, let me have this baby first." Her body shuts down labor and leaves to find safety. If fear is present, our bodies work the same way and will slow or stop labor until safety, support and security is re-established.
MENTAL
- BEFORE LABOR & DELIVERY:
The mental game surrounding birth is all important here. There is a natural sense of anxiety with labor because, if it is your first time, you don't know how you will react to what is to come.
We can research and learn all the things, only to experience labor and delivery differently than what we thought we knew.
Imagine a waterfall.
Some have gone down it, others haven't, but you are embarking upon it soon. People who have gone down it once, twice, many times, will tell you their experience: "I'm never doing that again," "It was insane," "It was exhiliarating!" "I'd do it maybe once more." But truth be told, you don't know how you'll feel about that waterfall until you go down it yourself.
You go into your birthing place as one person and you leave as another. Plus, you leave WITH ANOTHER PERSON TOO!
That's a lot and you deserve to process that. Even if you got everything you wanted, your Plan A, you still deserve to process that. If you prepared for Plan A and got all the way down to Plan Z, you DEFINITELY deserve to talk about and process it.
I want to hold that space for you.
- DURING LABOR & DELIVERY:
Moving through the waves of intensity (contractions) can take a huge toll on your mental health. Without the proper support, it is easy to allow negative thoughts to steep inside your mind of what you just went through: "How long is this going to last?", "How do women do this?", "I don't think I can handle another hour like this", "Why would anyone want to do this unmedicated?", "I feel like I'm going to break", "Why don't men have to do this?", etc. You get my drift.
During these moments, and there are many, you need someone to help walk you through to the next moment, someone to coach you through the wave and out of it. A doula like myself is equipped to do that for you by:
⭐ Verbally strengthening and encouraging you
⭐ Offering up distractions or focal points
⭐ Changes of position
⭐ Checking in with your emotions and walking you through them
⭐ Offering water/food
⭐ Physical comfort
⭐ and so much more...
A laboring person needs this kind of continuous support in order to get to the finish line without feeling crazy for taking this road that is labor.
The mental game surrounding birth is all important here. There is a natural sense of anxiety with labor because, if it is your first time, you don't know how you will react to what is to come.
We can research and learn all the things, only to experience labor and delivery differently than what we thought we knew.
Imagine a waterfall.
Some have gone down it, others haven't, but you are embarking upon it soon. People who have gone down it once, twice, many times, will tell you their experience: "I'm never doing that again," "It was insane," "It was exhiliarating!" "I'd do it maybe once more." But truth be told, you don't know how you'll feel about that waterfall until you go down it yourself.
You go into your birthing place as one person and you leave as another. Plus, you leave WITH ANOTHER PERSON TOO!
That's a lot and you deserve to process that. Even if you got everything you wanted, your Plan A, you still deserve to process that. If you prepared for Plan A and got all the way down to Plan Z, you DEFINITELY deserve to talk about and process it.
I want to hold that space for you.
- DURING LABOR & DELIVERY:
Moving through the waves of intensity (contractions) can take a huge toll on your mental health. Without the proper support, it is easy to allow negative thoughts to steep inside your mind of what you just went through: "How long is this going to last?", "How do women do this?", "I don't think I can handle another hour like this", "Why would anyone want to do this unmedicated?", "I feel like I'm going to break", "Why don't men have to do this?", etc. You get my drift.
During these moments, and there are many, you need someone to help walk you through to the next moment, someone to coach you through the wave and out of it. A doula like myself is equipped to do that for you by:
⭐ Verbally strengthening and encouraging you
⭐ Offering up distractions or focal points
⭐ Changes of position
⭐ Checking in with your emotions and walking you through them
⭐ Offering water/food
⭐ Physical comfort
⭐ and so much more...
A laboring person needs this kind of continuous support in order to get to the finish line without feeling crazy for taking this road that is labor.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In choosing me as your professional doula, I do not judge the way you decide to labor (unmedicated, medicated, or cesarean). I respect your space by holding it with the utmost care.
Having a doula present in the birthing setting ensures that providers are on their best behavior, using best practices, because a doula knows what those are. A doula is worth her weight in gold by this fact alone!
It is my highest honor to serve women in one of the most splendid moments of their lives.
Having a doula present in the birthing setting ensures that providers are on their best behavior, using best practices, because a doula knows what those are. A doula is worth her weight in gold by this fact alone!
It is my highest honor to serve women in one of the most splendid moments of their lives.
Why Integrate COACHING into Birth?
In order to achieve your desired birth AND postpartum experience, sometimes we have to look at some things that may prevent that from happening, through Prenatal & Postnatal Coaching.
Coaching allows us to begin addressing belief systems, cultural norms, fears, and common threads to get to the bottom of what is getting in the way of your possibilities in birth. If you believe that birth is painful, we address WHY that is and HOW we can see this view differently. If you are afraid of all the possible outcomes, we address WHERE we are getting our information and if it is worth giving it room in our lives.
We can plan and prepare for birth and postpartum in peaceful and joyful ways.
I want to support the unique person that is YOU.
We WILL get you the positive and safe experience you desire for your baby's birth!
Coaching allows us to begin addressing belief systems, cultural norms, fears, and common threads to get to the bottom of what is getting in the way of your possibilities in birth. If you believe that birth is painful, we address WHY that is and HOW we can see this view differently. If you are afraid of all the possible outcomes, we address WHERE we are getting our information and if it is worth giving it room in our lives.
We can plan and prepare for birth and postpartum in peaceful and joyful ways.
I want to support the unique person that is YOU.
We WILL get you the positive and safe experience you desire for your baby's birth!
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Serving the
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